


Sneaking Apples (like Regina didn't notice)

by intensedreams



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Horse!Emma, Please Forgive me, and be glad there was no smut written, because there almost was, i have no idea what this is, lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-22
Updated: 2016-05-22
Packaged: 2018-06-10 02:55:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6936388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/intensedreams/pseuds/intensedreams
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>3k of Horse!Emma and SwanQueen fluff cos everyone needs that in their life!<br/>“Why is there a horse here and why are Emma’s clothes over there?” Regina pointed at the familiar leather atop jeans and boots resting in a pile on the ground. “Where is she?”<br/>“So, ah, you see,” Henry began, drumming his fingers against the flank of the horse. “Emma and I went for a walk in the woods. And um. Well. There was a bush.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sneaking Apples (like Regina didn't notice)

**Author's Note:**

> This was fuelled by a bottle of wine and the idea of Henry and Horse!Emma sheepishly looking at Regina apologetically.  
> I know nothing about horses (which is probably evident), but please take note that Emma is a magic horse if there are any issues.  
> This is the most ridiculous thing i've ever written, i've been laughing out loud all afternoon thinking about it.  
> I kind of love it.

It was one of those days in Storybrooke.

No villains, not active ones anyway, and no impending doom on the horizon. For now, at least.

It was a clear blue sky kind of day, and Regina Mills was in her garden, basket in hand, picking apples. She never failed to marvel at the perfect fruit her tree produced, year after year. She would bake turnovers which she would then give to her family, smirking all the while, and make her infamous cider.

Emma liked her cider. Lots.

Regina looked forward to the long summer evenings when the blonde would avail herself of Regina’s couch and they would talk long into the night, about everything and nothing. She looked forward to falling asleep with Emma on the couch (it was a frequent thing) and waking up with the blondes arms around her in the middle of the night. Ok, they didn’t talk about that, but it didn’t stop Emma from coming over and it didn’t stop Regina letting her into the house and pouring plenty of drinks.

 Regina also marvelled at how far they’d come.

Enemies to friends to family.  Regina reflected fondly on the blonde for a moment… something she found herself doing often these days.

“Mom!”

Regina was snapped out of her introspection by her son calling from inside the house. She found him in the kitchen nervously twisting his scarf in his hands. Crossing her arms, Regina leant against the kitchen counter.

“What have you done?” She asked as she raised an eyebrow.

Henry looked sheepish, nervously grinning.

“Can you come with me to the stables? I have something I really need to show you.”

So she did, badgering him with questions along the way but Henry just waved her off with an “it’s easier to just show you.” She drove them to the stable, nerves rising as she remembered the last time she was there, remembering pain and pain and crying.

“Henry, what is this all about,” she tried again as her son slammed the car door and headed inside the wooden building.

“Just come!”

Regina sighed and closed the door of the Mercedes, following her son inside. She wandered through the stalls, eyes roving for Henry and whatever it was he was so desperate to see.

She paused for a moment when she heard the whinny of a horse.

Made sense, it _was_ the stable, but there were no horses in Storybrooke. The people from Camelot had taken them all back when they left.

Regina found Henry patting a white horses neck. A very large horse. A very large female horse.

“Henry…”

“I can explain,” he said quickly as he turned to her.

“Why is there a horse here and _why_ are Emma’s clothes over there?” Regina pointed at the familiar leather atop jeans and boots resting in a pile on the ground. “Where is she?”

“So, ah, you see,” Henry began, drumming his fingers against the flank of the horse. “Emma and I went for a walk in the woods. And um. Well. There was a bush.”

“A bush,” Regina repeated, crossing her arms again.

“Yeah. A magic bush,” Henry said, shrugging. “It glowed. I’m not really sure. All I know is that Emma touched it.”

Things clicked into place.

Of course. She smirked.

“Emma’s the horse.”

The horse snorted, nudging Henry with it’s head.

“Hey!” he turned, facing the horse, “It’s going to be ok.” He turned back to face Regina, “Yeah, Emma’s the horse.”

They both looked at each other for a beat before Regina sighed, looking over Henry’s shoulder to the horse.

“Miss Swan,” she said, looking her in the eye. Emma’s vibrant green stared sheepishly back, before she batted her eyelids and lowered her head. “What are we going to do with you?” Emma stepped forward before raising her head again and bumping Regina’s shoulder gently.

She couldn’t help but bring a hand up to stroke Emma’s cheek fondly. “Idiot.” Emma bobbed her head in agreement.

 

* * *

 

“So, we are going to have to look after her aren’t we? I suppose it’s as good a time as any for you to start learning how to take care of horses.” Emma snorted.

Henry perked up, “does that mean I get to ride her?” The horse backed up a few steps, bumping into the wooden bars of a stall and neighed loudly. Her long white mane flew about her head as she shook it.

Regina stepped over and rubbed her palm along Emma’s neck, before reaching up and quickly braiding her mane. “There,” she said scratching behind an ear, “That is rough but it will keep your hair from getting tangled, dear.” Emma snorted again and bobbed her head. She turned her neck and contemplated Regina with those big green eyes before nosing Regina’s hands and sniffing. “What?” Emma nudged her palm, her nostrils flaring as she sniffed again, then nickered. “Oh,” Regina smiled. “She smells the apples.”

Henry laughed. “It’s definitely Emma then.”

“I’ll get you some, dear,” Regina promised, her face aching from grinning at the ridiculous of this situation. “And, we are going to have to figure out what to do about your… situation.”

“Mom, we need to go get supplies,” Henry said. “Horse… supplies. Can we get those here?”

Regina thought for a moment, her finger landing on her lip thoughtfully. “No problem.” She waved her hand and an apple from her kitchen appeared in her hand. She offered it to Emma, keeping eye contact as the horse gingerly sniffed the red fruit, before greedily seizing it. Emma let out a breath of contentment.

“So,” Regina said, turning to Henry. Emma chewed the apple noisily behind her. “I could use magic to make this place habitable for a horse-“

“Can’t she just live in the garden for now?”

Regina smiled. “No, there would be questions and then everyone would start to panic because their beloved saviour was incapacitated. I think it would be better to keep Emma’s situation to ourselves for now. But as I was saying,” Regina waved her hand again and the stable instantly became dust and cobweb free, the hay was gathered into piles and the windows opened, airing the space, “we need to look after her whilst she’s like this.”

“How long will she be like this?”

Regina felt Emma nose her hand again, and she scratched idly at the skin between her nostrils.

“I don’t know Henry.” Regina turned to face Emma again, cupping her huge head with both hands and looking her in the eyes. They were nose to nose. “But we will take care of her as long as we need to.”

And that is how Emma Swan the horse became looked after by Regina Mills.

 

* * *

 

And so it went. They made excuses for Emma to have gone out of town for Sheriff related things, Henry tapping messages to Snow and Charming on Emma’s phone. Henry went to school, then he would rush home and change into clothes for the stables and wait for Regina. She would be out the office sharp at 5pm, and magic herself back to the mansion to pick up her son.

At 5.05pm they would appear in the stables and Emma would rear up, rattling the stall as she kicked out in surprise. Regina would be across to her in a flash, climbing over the gate into the small space with Emma’s large frame and running her hands over her neck, under her chin, whispering comforting words.

It had been many years since she had taken care of a horse, but it all came back to her quickly. Henry and her would muck out the stall (Henry red cheeked and Regina resolute, Emma cantering around the space outside), they would brush Emma down (Henry red cheeked and Regina taking absolute pleasure in the pressure of the brush against her hand, a long forgotten comfort), Emma flicking her tail at whoever made jokes, and they would just tell her about their day.

More often than not, Regina found herself at the stables, talking to Emma, because she missed her friend, and horse or not, it was Emma. And she would _run_. Regina Mills did not run.  But Emma would push into her playfully then trot away, teasing. And Regina would give chase, laughing until she was breathless, but feeling herself become lighter with each day.

It was idyllic in many way, mused Regina. Aside from her growing disquiet about the lack of progress on changing Emma back.

Emma was skittish and occasionally clumsy horse, knocking into things (Henry) and she was greedy. She figured quickly that Regina had apples stashed in a bag in the car most days, and she left the window down so Emma would often sneak them.

Regina pretended not to notice the large animal standing next to her low Mercedes as she walked by.

One day Emma reared away and squealed when they came near her with a saddle, her ears flat against her head. It had been a joke Regina and Henry had wanted to play on Emma, neither actually focused on riding her.

“Not a fan of that huh?” Henry ventured after Emma jumped the gate and bolted from the stable. Regina shook her head and took Henry home before heading out into the countryside to look for Emma.

She found her later on by a lake many hours later, the late afternoon sun streaming down on the lush, green field. Regina approached her with an apple held out in front.

An apology.

Emma accepted, her teeth crunching through the pale flesh of the fruit.

“No saddles then?” Emma snorted and side stepped, bumping Regina with her hind quarters and Regina screeched, wind milling her arms as she lost balance and fell into the lake. Emma nickered and danced off, her tail held high as Regina surfaced and grimly climbed out the water. Regina looked at the prancing horse, her hooves kicking high and a glimmer in her eyes, and she couldn’t help but laugh. A loud, unrestrained belly laugh. Regina clutched her stomach, bending over almost double as she let loose weeks of frustration at finding dead ends in books for Emma, and confusion over her own feelings.

Regina fell to her knees, wheezing as she struggled for air between cackles, and she eventually turned to tears as her fears surfaced.

“Emma,” she gasped, sucking in breaths of air, “I’m scared.”

The horse was beside her in seconds, Emma’s nose brushing Regina’s hair and snuffling it.

“I know you are too,” Regina breathed, finally looking up at the beast. Emma stared resolutely back. She neighed, long dark eyelashes brushing down in a blink before she moved around to the back of Regina, and slowly, awkwardly, settled down to the ground. She nudged Regina with her nose again, loud breathes brushing the brunettes ear, her whiskers tickling Regina’s cheek.

Regina leaned back against the solid frame Emma offered, leaning her head back and staring at the blue, blue sky. She focused on breathing deeply, letting the tear tracks dry on her cheeks, taking comfort in the gentle, quiet nicker from Emma.

“I don’t know how this happened. I can’t find the bush that Henry mentioned, and I can’t find any information on _magic horse transforming bushes_ in any books I have. I don’t know what to do, Emma.”

Regina turned to the horse, throwing her arm over her back and pressing her face into Emma’s white hair.

“I’m sorry,” she breathed.

Emma shifted, sighing, and pressed herself slightly against Regina’s embrace.

Regina stayed that way, listening to the soft chirps of birds, of Emma’s gentle breathing, and the wind passing through the grass in the field. She wound her fingers into Emma’s mane, taking comfort from the coarse hair that she’d let free after that first braiding. It suited Emma more. The gentle expansion of Emma’s ribs whilst she breathed lulled Regina into a light sleep.

Thunder and a few droplets of rain interrupted them a while later, Emma’s neck raising quickly to let her stare at the dark clouds approaching rapidly, ears twitching.

Regina sleepily shook her head, rising from where she’d been dozing comfortably against Emma’s side. Her clothes were almost dry from the sun and the gentle breeze, but she could see that wasn’t going to last long. The wind picked up, rippling the grass in mesmerising waves.

Emma neighed and tossed her head, before turning to look at Regina. She stayed laying down, staring at Regina and bobbing her head.

“What? I don’t understand Emma,” Regina frowned at the horse’s unrest, wondering why she wasn’t standing up.

Emma blew a hard breath from her nose, tossing her head again and shifting her hind quarters.

An idea slowly formed in Regina’s mind. “Oh,” she reached out to skim Emma’s back, “you want me on here?”

Emma whinnied, bobbing her head up and down and Regina swore the horse’s eyes rolled.

Regina eyed the darkening sky, and flinched as a cold droplet of rain hit her nose. “Ok, ok,” she said more to herself as she stepped forward and threw a leg over Emma’s back, settling down gingerly.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” she whispered as she threaded her fingers through the bottom of Emma’s mane, giving her something to hold on to. Emma tossed her head from side to side before suddenly shifting. Regina gasped as she felt Emma move, almost becoming unseated as the horse rose ungainly to her full height.

Emma was a large horse, at least seventeen hands at the withers by Regina’s count, and she’d forgotten what It was like to be on the back of such a tall beast. And she had no saddle. A twinge of uncertainty shot through her, but Regina also felt exhilarated, she felt at _home_. She pressed her thighs into Emma’s flanks, her boots angling in as she felt the huge muscles under her twitch and bunch as Emma prepared to move.

She started slow, letting Regina get used to riding her bareback, and Regina marvelled at Emma’s control.

Bending low, she spoke softly, knowing Emma could hear her.

“It’s ok, I can hold on. Let’s go, Emma. Let’s go home.”

Regina could hardly contain her yelp of delight as she felt Emma surge forward, powerful muscles working under her as the horse picked up speed. Regina felt the wind whoosh by, whipping through her hair and Emma’s with wild abandon. She grinned as she felt Emma speed up to a full out gallop, letting her body move with Emma’s, the chaotic nature of riding un-saddled thrilling her. She bounced atop Emma, clinging on to her mane, and laughed as the land streaked by.

Rain started to fall in earnest, chilling Regina in her thin clothes, but she didn’t care. Not whilst she was riding, not whilst she was _flying_ along astride a creature such as this. Not whilst she could feel the power between her legs, the hard breathing, the noise of her hooves and the _energy_ that Emma produced whilst thundering along. They were soaked almost instantly as the rain came down, Regina’s hair plastering to her face. She attempted to swipe it out of her eyes whilst holding on to Emma before giving up.

She trusted Emma, she trusted her to take her home. Regina didn’t need to see.

She threw her head back and laughed with abandon, delighting in the rain, the wind whipping the world around her, the powerful beast between her legs and she smiled, feeling more _Regina_ than she had in many, many years.

They exited the field, Emma nearly unseating Regina as she jumped the fence and cantered into the forest, weaving between trees. Thunder cracked overhead, and the sky turned ominous and Regina lowered herself to Emma’s back and threw her arms around her neck as far as she could, holding on, trusting her to get them somewhere safe, somewhere dry.

 

* * *

 

Regina only raised her head again as she felt Emma slow, her canter trailing off into a trot, and she heard the change in noise from her hooves.

They entered the stables at a quick pace, Emma taking them to the farthest point from the entrance and she neighed, flanks heaving deeply. Regina pushed herself up from where she’d been laying flat against Emma’s back, and willed her legs to work as she leant forward to swing a leg over. She slid down, hands bracing against Emma’s back and stumbled back a few steps before righting herself. The heat from being pressed against Emma quickly disappeared and Regina found herself shivering.

Emma stepped forward, hot breath blasting over Regina’s face and neck, before she nudged Regina’s shoulder.

Regina trembled, wincing at the loud crack of thunder overhead and the howling of the wind rattling the wooden structure.

She gathered herself against Emma’s heaving chest, and threw her arms around the horse again, pressing her face against her neck. She was slightly shaken up from their frantic ride and the noise of the storm all around. Emma made Regina feel safe apparently, whatever form she was in.

“Thank you for bringing me back, thank you for looking after me,” she breathed, closing her eyes with exhaustion. Regina pressed a small kiss to Emma’s muzzle, and she felt the burst of magic, the tingling and pulled herself back, almost fearing to open her eyes.

“Hey,” Emma Swan grinned sheepishly back at her, tangled golden locks spilling over shoulders.

Regina didn’t hesitate and threw her arms around the other woman, pulling her close. Emma laughed and brought her hands up to grasp at Regina’s back, fingers gathering handfuls of wet cloth.

“Thank god, thank god, thank god,” Regina repeated, clutching onto Emma, breathing her in, feeling her arms around her and her normal sized body pressed against her front.

“Hey, breath is becoming an issue here,” Emma gasped, extricating herself, but not going far. She brought her hands up to cup Regina’s cheeks. “Thank you,” Emma breathed, pressing a kiss to Regina’s forehead before pulling back. “Thank you for looking after me.”

Regina melted into Emma again, pressing their foreheads together, breathing her in.

“Come home with me,” she murmured.

“Do I get apples?” Emma quipped. “Only if there are no saddles. How I am I going to look Henry in the eye?”

Regina rolled her eyes and smacked Emma’s arm.

“You are awfully jokey for someone who just had a true loves kiss with someone they weren’t even dating.”

“First of all, I need some clothes before I get out of here,” Emma said spying her jacket thrown over a stall gate. “And second, _please_ Regina,” Emma smirked, “I was there every night we slept on the couch. I’ve been in this for a long time. Just been waiting for you to catch up.”

Regina scoffed and ran at the other woman, tackling her into a hay pile. She kissed Emma deeply, freely, revelling in her heat and hands clutching at her and her breathing.

“This is _not_ comfortable to lie on,” Emma noted, shifting uncomfortably.

“I don’t care right now, I need to kiss you, I need to touch you. I’ve got months of what I thought was unrequited, unknowing pining to make up for.”

Emma laughed, rolling them and bracing herself above Regina. “You and me both. But I’d rather be clean before you ride me again,” she quipped before heaving herself up and grabbing her clothes.

Regina’s throat was suddenly dry as she sat up, running her fingers through her hair for stray bits of straw. Emma was back in moments, holding her hand out to Regina.

“Let’s go home,” she said holding Regina’s gaze.

Regina smiled, a sunrise kind of smile, and she grabbed Emma’s hand to pull herself up.

“Lets.”


End file.
